TEEM-2 TAO v7

Subjects live with objects1: they observe objects, create objects, and use objects. The τ-theory (the Greek letter “τ” is pronounced as “TAO”, which stands for “Teleology Affordances Ontology”) is a theory about subjects (with purposes) and objects (with properties), and the possible relationships between them. It is rooted in the philosophical branches of teleology, including praxeology (the economic study of human action), and of ontology, including mereology (the study of wholes and parts), and etiology (the study of causation), as well as in the theory of affordances, and in systemics (the holistic and mathematical study of systems). In ontology, objects are studied as they are, how hey are composed of parts, of which substance the parts are, how the parts are connected, etc., completely disregarding the purpose(s) subjects could use them for. The ontological point of view allows us to discern objects and their properties in an objective way. For example, you may observe a tree-stump (object), whose height is about 50 cm (property). In teleology, objects are studied as purposive entities. For example, human beings (subjects) are considered to have needs or desires and seek to satisfy them by using objects (including other human beings) in ways that satisfy their needs. In doing so, the subjects strive to achieve their purposes. This understanding of subjects and their purposes is sufficient for studying the τ-theory. However, one may extend the theory by elaborating the praxeological part in teleology (including decision theory). This would lead to letting subjects attribute value to objects, depending on the degree in which the objects fit their purposes. We will elaborate this extension of the τtheory also briefly. The teleological and ontological points of view are bridged by the notion of affordance2. The basic idea in the theory of affordances is that subjects, in their pursuit of satisfying needs, do not primarily perceive objects and their properties but the affordances that the objects offer them, i.e. the potential usages that the objects may have (which ultimately are made possible, of course, by the properties of the objects). For example, if you (subject) want to sit (purpose), you may perceive that you can sit (affordance) on the tree-stump (object) you see, because the height of its surface (property) fits your purpose. In order to refer to this affordance, Gibson would say that the tree-stump is ‘sit-on-able’ for you.